In the Future
by Hagalaz001
Summary: Shinachiku Uzumaki and Mikoto Uchiha together form two members of the new Team Seven. Over a decade has passed since the Fourth Shinobi World War, and the ninja world is at peace...or is it? Time will tell whether the new generation will make a name for themselves as protectors of the peace...or like their predecessors, as soldiers on the battlefield.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.

In the Future

Prologue

"Right, listen up you two." Mikoto Uchiha said as she and the rest of the new team seven – she wasn't sure how to feel about that considering how…rocky, the history of past teams with that designation had been (superstition it might be but you never knew about these things) – met up at a park not far from the academy after they'd been dismissed for lunch before meeting up with their jounin sensei afterwards. "We need to set something straight here and now, before we end up like the rest of the other teams. Well, maybe not Hitomi's but…she's an exception, just like we are."

The rest of team seven – Shinachiku Uzumaki and Mai – stared at their teammate before Shinachiku gave a groan. "Seriously, Mikoto?" he asked. "We just got assigned to a team and you're acting like this already?"

"This is serious, Shina." Mikoto said, arms crossed over her chest. "You might not have much success getting clues from your parents, but I managed to get something out of my old man."

"Clues about what?" Mai asked.

"About what happens today, like team assignments and (rumored) secret tests to see if we're really cut out for being ninjas…things like that." Shinachiku said. "And it's not like I was completely unsuccessful. I managed to get a hint from dad, you know, about how who works well with who in academy team exercises beinga factor when they assign genin to teams."

"…fair enough." Mikoto conceded. "I got more from my dad though, even if it took _some _persuasion to finally get him to start talking."

"And…what do you have?" Shinachiku asked.

"Once we meet with our jounin sensei, we'll be tested on our teamwork." Mikoto answered. "The how varies from one jounin to another, but it usually involves an impossible or near-impossible task – for genin – that's meant to see how well we work together in the face of, well, the impossible. If we don't work together, we get sent back to the academy. But if we do…then we pass."

"…seriously?" Shinachiku and Mai asked. "It's as simple as that?"

"…yeah, now that you mention it, it does sound rather simple and straightforward, doesn't it?" Mikoto suddenly found herself asking, and scratching at her head sheepishly. "Anyway…I trust this sets things straight? We're going to be working together both in whatever test Konohamaru-sensei will have for us later? And afterwards too?"

"Hey, you know how my parents are." Shinachiku said with a shrug. "No worries on any of those points."

"Considering how much teamwork was stressed throughout our time in the academy," Mai said with a nod. "It shouldn't be a problem. And it's not like this is the first time we've worked together either. We'll just be working together more now."

"What about you, though?" Shinachiku asked Mikoto. "You've got no problems working with us?"

Mikoto gave Shinachiku a blank look. "Really, Shina?" she asked, deadpan.

"…right, sorry, stupid question."

"Now that that's out of the way," Mai said with a cough. "What's next?"

"Hmm…" Mikoto hummed thoughtfully to herself. "Normally, I'd say we should plan out what to do for later, but since we don't know what Konohamaru-sensei will have for us, that's a non-starter, really."

"…well," Mai said after a moment and another cough. "If you've got nothing else in mind…"

Mikoto and Shinachiku stared at Mai as she pulled out a scroll and opening it, unsealed what looked like three bento boxes stacked on top of each other. "Mom made these earlier for me and whoever I get as teammates." Mai said with a shrug. "She said to share these for lunch between the three of us, as a teambuilding exercise…or something like that."

"…well, I was planning on buying lunch out," Shinachiku admitted before smiling at Mai. "But I wouldn't want to waste your mom's efforts either."

"It _is _bad luck to turn away food offered in good faith." Mikoto added.

"…really, Mikoto?"

"Shut it, Shina."

Mai laughed. "Looks like we're getting along quite well, already." She said, before unsealing drinks and chopsticks as well.

* * *

"Hey there, my cute little genin." Konohamaru Sarutobi greeted his new team as they met on top of the academy building after lunch. "How are you today?"

"…ripping off Uncle Kakashi, Konohamaru-sensei?" Shinachiku deadpanned. "I am so telling."

"…kid, you just have no sense of cool." Konohamaru said with a face-palm. "Anyway, let's start off by getting to know each other."

At first, both Shinachiku and Mikoto stared in confusion at Konohamaru, as it wasn't exactly a secret that they might as well have grown up together. Then it hit them. While that was the case for them, it wasn't the case for Mikoto and Konohamaru, the latter being close to the Uzumaki Clan but not to the Uchiha Clan. And while Mai's mother was a good friend of the Hokage and his wife, that didn't mean Mai practically grew up with either or both Shinachiku and Mikoto, or that she was as familiar with Konohamaru as Shinachiku was. If anything, she probably knew him less than Mikoto or her clan did.

"Why don't you start, sensei?" Mikoto took the initiative. "Show us how it's done."

"Hmm…alright…" Konohamaru conceded with a nod. "Let's see…you already know my name's Konohamaru Sarutobi, my likes and dislikes are…none of your concern…"

Shinachiku opened his mouth to protest, though he shut up at a glare from Konohamaru. "Oh, and my future dream is to succeed the boss as Hokage." He finished with a small smile. "Now, your turn, Shina."

"…okay," Shinachiku said with a cough. "My name's Shinachiku Uzumaki, and I like gardening. As for dislikes…um…I guess I don't like unpleasant people and things. As for my future dream…that would be to become as good a medical ninja as my mom!"

Konohamaru and Mikoto smiled at that, both already knowing about Shinachiku's dream of following in his mother's footsteps. Mai looked surprised though. "You don't want to be Hokage like your dad, Shinachiku-kun?" she asked.

"You can just call me Shina." Shinachiku said. "As for being Hokage…well, I did want to be when I was younger, but then my little sister wanted to be Hokage too so…"

Shinachiku trailed off with a shrug. "Besides," he said. "Everyone says I take more after my mom than my dad, while my sister is the opposite. If so, then I guess I might as well take the path of least resistance."

Mai nodded in understanding. "Makes sense," she said. "My turn, I guess?"

Everyone else nodded, and Mai gave a cough. "My name is Mai." She said. "Don't ask about the surname, it's a sore topic with my mom. I like working with my mom in our weapons shop, and I dislike it when people make assumptions simply because of preconceptions. As for my future dream…simple. I want to make a respectable name for myself, nothing more and nothing less."

"Sounds like a solid dream with plenty of room for a number of options." Konohamaru observed. "And you, Mikoto?"

"I'm Mikoto Uchiha." Mikoto said with a casual run of a hand through her red hair. "I like swordsmanship and challenges, and like Mai I dislike it when people make assumptions based on preconceptions. My dream for the future is to finish what my father started, to clear the name of and to rebuild the Uchiha Clan."

"Okay!" Konohamaru said with a nod and clap of his hands. "Right! Now that that's out of the way…actually, I have other things to do for the day, so you're dismissed for now. But before you go, here's my first order to you as your jounin sensei: assemble at Training Ground Number Three tomorrow, at around ten in the morning, for your genin test."

"Test?" Mikoto echoed with narrowed eyes. "What test? Didn't we graduate already?"

Konohamaru laughed. "Oh that?" he asked. "That was just something to weed out the really incompetent ones, but even then you still have to prove yourselves worthy of those headbands you're wearing. Anyone can recite history and solve problems on paper, fight practice matches and do basic ninjutsu…but whether or not we can call you comrades of the Hidden Leaf is something that's yet to be seen."

"And?" Shinachiku asked, also with narrowed eyes. "What happens if we fail?"

Konohamaru shrugged. "You can either go back to the academy," he said. "Or you can flunk out as civilians."

"That's not…!" Mai angrily began, only to shut up at a glare from Konohamaru.

"Life isn't fair, kid." He said. "If you can't accept that fact, then I'll say here and now you don't deserve that headband you're wearing. You might as well just give it back already."

Mai grit her teeth but said nothing. Konohamaru nodded slowly before looking back at his other genin. Both Mikoto and Shinachiku met his gaze evenly and without flinching. "Right," he said. "If there's nothing else, I'll see you tomorrow."

On that parting note, Konohamaru vanished in a swirl of illusionary leaves.

* * *

"Nice work playing along, you two." Mikoto said with a smirk.

"Just as planned." Shinachiku said with a shrug.

"I'm not so sure about that." Mai said while scratching her head. "I think I might have overplayed it…I mean, I might not be part of a clan like you two are, but I'm also a ninja's daughter. I should be just as…I don't know, aware? Of what the job involves."

"…possibly," Mikoto conceded after a moment's thought. "That said, it doesn't look as though Konohamaru-sensei caught it."

"So what do we do now?" Shinachiku asked.

"We prepare." Mikoto answered. "We might not know what Konohamaru-sensei has planned for us, but even if that's the case, it only means we have to be ready for anything that might happen. Make sure we all have the weapons, tools, and supplies we might need tomorrow, and then some. Get plenty of rest tonight, and a good breakfast tomorrow, so we'll have plenty of energy for whatever trial Konohamaru-sensei has in store for us."

"Sounds good." Shinachiku said with a nod. "We can't do any better than that given how little we know. Though just in case, maybe we should try finding out more from our parents or anyone else who might know what's waiting for us?"

"Worth a try, I suppose." Mikoto agreed. "If that's the case though, we should meet early, maybe at nine or eight-thirty, to pool what we already know and come up with a plan for tomorrow."

"It would also give us time to see what the place is like." Mai added. "Not a bad thing to know, all things considered. We might even be able to use it to our advantage."

"Also a good idea." Mikoto agreed. "Anything else?"

Mai and Shinachiku looked at each other and then back to Mikoto before shaking their heads. "Right then," Mikoto said with a nod. "Let's go and do what we can to prepare for tomorrow."

Both Mai and Shinachiku nodded back, and at that team seven walked off. None of them noticed the eavesdropping Konohamaru standing along the academy's exterior wall, out of sight but not hearing, and smirking to himself thoughtfully.

_Clever kids, but still kids for all that._

_Not bad, though._

_I should probably report this to the boss. I'm sure he'd be very interested to hear it._

At that thought, Konohamaru used a body flicker to travel to in front of the Hokage's office in an instant.

* * *

"Someone's been talking, boss." Konohamaru reported to Seventh Hokage Naruto Uzumaki. "I'm not sure who, but going by what Shinachiku said about things going as planned, and Mikoto implying they were just playing along when I told them about the genin test…they knew."

Naruto busied himself with filling out a form, and then signing it, stamped it before placing it in a marked receptacle. "Is that really a problem?" he asked.

"Boss!" Konohamaru protested. "It defeats the whole purpose of the genin test if they know about it beforehand."

"Does it?" Naruto asked. "The question is if they can work together as a team. And from what you've told me, it seems they can if they pulled that plan off, not that we can just let them off the hook that is the genin test tomorrow. As for knowing in advance…"

Naruto paused and laughed. "So that's why he was prying at me and Sakura for the whole past week." He said. "Trying to find out more of what's in store…like a real ninja, eh?"

"…you told them, boss?" Konohamaru asked in disbelief.

"Not me," Naruto said with a shake of his head. "Anyway, there's a huge difference between working together on a straightforward, playing along plan like what you said they had earlier, and working together on a battlefield – even a mock one – like what's waiting for them tomorrow. Then there's D and C-ranks after that…"

Naruto trailed off and gave a cough. "My point is," he said. "Even if they somehow…get around, or something, the genin test tomorrow, you'll have plenty of time to test and hone their teamwork afterwards if you think tomorrow isn't enough to prove they have what it takes. You are their jounin sensei, after all."

"That's true, boss." Konohamaru agreed. "Alright boss, I'll put them through the wringer tomorrow, and see what they've got."

Naruto nodded. "Just try not to rough them up too much." He said.

"Got it, boss." Konohamaru said with a nod, before turning to leave. "See you around."

Naruto nodded, and then Konohamaru left, closing the door behind him. Alone now, Naruto secured the privacy seals, and pulling out a folder marked as 'top secret' narrowed his eyes at a recent report about disturbing developments across the continent.

_A peaceful world, huh?_

_Not quite there yet…_

…_we've tamed the dragon…_

…_but in so doing, we just might have unchained the hydra._

* * *

A/N

And so we begin on our post-NaruSaku fic, starring Shinachiku Uzumaki and Mikoto Uchiha.

Those of you who've read my other work, _Facets of the Future_, should know who Mai is (even if she was only mentioned in passing there) and who her mother is as well. Ditto for Mikoto's mother (it should go without saying who her father is), and of course Shinachiku is Naruto and Sakura's son.

If you haven't read it yet, then don't worry. We'll explore the background as the story progresses.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.

In the Future

Chapter 1

Shinachiku was curled up under his sheets, lost in dreams of salt and spray, and of distant lands no one had seen or visited before, and which would likely be forgotten upon waking. So deep was he in the lands of dreams and nightmares that he didn't notice it when his bed depressed right next to him, and then he was scowling unconsciously, as something soft and smooth began tickling at his nose.

Despite the unconscious protest, the tickling continued, finally dragging Shinachiku out his dreams. Green eyes slowly blinked awake, the hazy outlines of his room quickly coalescing into a coherent image…as did his cheerfully smiling sister lying next to him. "Rise and shine, big bro!" she said. "Hey!"

Ignoring his sister, Shinachiku rolled onto his other side, away from Hanami Uzumaki, who pouted before rolling her brother off his bed onto the floor. "…really, Hanami?" Shinachiku grumbled from the floor.

"You're a ninja now, big bro!" Hanami said while sitting on her knees on his bed. "You should wake up nice and early, like mommy and daddy, dattebane!"

"…that's…"

Shinachiku broke off as his alarm began to sound, apparently it being the time he usually woke up at. Sighing, Shinachiku gave up on protesting and getting some more sleep as Hanami beamed. "Alright, alright," he grumbled while getting to his feet and turning the alarm off. "I'm up, already."

"Okay!" Hanami said, getting off the bed to run out of his room. "See you later, big bro!"

Waving her off, Shinachiku yawned while stretching his limbs, and then walking over to the windows, opened the curtains only to squint at the bright morning light pouring through. Blinking as his eyes adjusted to the light, he looked out over the Village Hidden in the Leaves, or the part of it called 'Old Konoha', which dated back to before the Fourth Shinobi World War and was the original village. This was in contrast to 'New Konoha', which had been built after the war and made use of new styles and methods of building that some said were symbolic of the surge of confidence and energy that came with the new peace.

Personally, Shinachiku preferred Old Konoha.

Stretching his limbs again to the sound of birds flying past, the distant rumbling of the village waking up to another day, and the closer sounds of his parents doing their morning routine on the ground floor below, Shinachiku then turned away from the window to his closet, to get his clothes for the day. As he approached, his eye caught the headband he'd only had for a week now, and which he'd have to prove he was worthy of later.

"_Just you wait, Konohamaru-nii._" Shinachiku resolutely thought. "_We'll definitely show you what we've got._"

With that thought in mind, Shinachiku prepared for the day to come.

* * *

"Morning, mom. Morning, dad." Shinachiku greeted his parents while walking into the dining room, still adjusting his headband around his forehead. Despite having it for a week already, he still had to get completely used to wearing it. "You too, Hanami."

Busy with apple slices, Hanami could only wave back at her brother's greeting. "Morning, Shina." Sakura Uzumaki returned the greeting while putting a steaming bowl of miso soup with tofu on the table. "Hmm…here, let me help you with that."

Quickly walking over as Shinachiku sat down, Sakura busied herself with tightening and straightening her son's headband. "…really," she said in a mildly chiding fashion. "It's been a week already. You should be able to do this on your own by now."

"I should be…" Shinachiku admitted. "It's just that…um…that is…"

"Worried about too much of your forehead showing?" Naruto asked as he walked in from the adjoining kitchen, holding a steaming platter of chicken cooked with egg with a pair of mittens that he then placed on the table. "Shina, you really take after your mother. And again, it's no big deal."

"…some people make fun of it." Shinachiku grumbled.

"Not really sure why they think that way," Naruto said, also taking his seat before stirring and then taking a drink of his coffee. "I've always found your mother's forehead to be charming."

Sakura rolled her eyes though she quickly smiled. "Yes, Naruto, thank you for that." She said. "First person outside of my parents to ever tell me that…"

"Oh, oh!" Hanami suddenly blurted out. "Wasn't that also the same day you kissed Uncle Sasuke?"

Naruto choked and Sakura tripped as both Shinachiku and Hanami started snickering at that old story. "Damn it, Ino." Sakura growled as Naruto coughed to try and regain his composure.

"Anyway," Naruto said. "So…any plans for later?"

Shinachiku hummed while waiting for his mother to hand him his rice bowl back. "Not really sure what we can plan for," he finally said. "I mean we don't know what Konohamaru-sensei has waiting for us…unless you can give me a hint."

Naruto snorted and then shook his head. "Sorry, Shina," he said. "But even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you. You have to pass this test on your own, and show you all have what it takes. Otherwise…it just wouldn't be right."

Shinachiku hummed again while chewing on a mouthful of breakfast. "Yeah, you're right." He admitted. "Still…any advice would be nice."

"Well, like we told you last night," Sakura said. "All you really need to do to pass the genin test is to work with the rest of your team. That's all there is to it. No Konoha ninja has ever succeeded on their own."

Naruto nodded in agreement. "That said," he picked up the baton from his wife. "Don't overdo it either. Just take it easy, and focus on passing the test."

"Got it, dad."

* * *

"So," Konohamaru cheerfully said as he studied his (prospective) students. "Ready to go back to the academy?"

The three of them glared back at him, and he found himself smiling just a bit wider at the sight. They had spirit, there was no doubt about that. And they certainly looked the part for genin.

Mikoto for instance, wore a short-sleeved top of black with a small Uchiha fan just above her breasts, along with a matching pair of pants and a pair of ninja sandals. Her belt sported a number of pouches for weapons and tools, while her long red hair had been tied back into a ponytail behind her.

Shinachiku though favored a short-sleeved shirt of dark blue, with Uzumaki spirals on either sleeve, as well as matching forearm warmers. Over them he wore a sleeveless jacket of orange, and a matching pair of shorts beneath, along with ninja sandals. Much like Mikoto's belt, his jacket sported a number of pouches for tools and weapons.

Mai similarly wore a jacket with plenty of equipment pouches, albeit with long sleeves and colored dark green, while under it she wore a black top over brown pants and ninja sandals. Unlike her teammates, she didn't wear her headband as a, well, headband, and wore it around her neck instead.

"Alright, then." Konohamaru said. "If you're sure, then let's get to it."

Pausing for effect, Konohamaru indicated a pair of bells attached to his belt. "To pass the test," he said. "All you need to do is get these bells on my belt. One bell for one person, which means one of you will be going back to the academy regardless. Also, this will be a timed test. You have one hour. If you don't get the bells by the end of it, all of you will be going back to the academy."

"What if we get one bell?" Mikoto asked.

"Then the one who holds the bell at the end gets to keep being a ninja," Konohamaru replied. "And the others go back to the academy. Any other questions?"

The three genin glanced at each other, and then back to Konohamaru before shaking their heads. "Right," he said before placing an alarm clock on top of a wooden post nearby. "Your time starts…now!"

The moment he pressed the alarm, all three genin threw down a mix of smoke and flash bombs between them and their jounin sensei, while simultaneously springing back. Smoke erupted even as blinding light erupted through the air, and then Konohamaru was springing back, towards the nearby stream, and waiting for anyone to attack through the smoke.

The smoke drifted on a gentle breeze, and then slowly cleared. And once it cleared, there was no one there.

"_What are they planning?_" Konohamaru thought to himself. "_From the look and sound of things they already know the point of this test, but I can't just pass them yet. Not yet…I need to see more._"

Konohamaru nodded and narrowed his eyes at the nearby wood. "_So they expect me to go after them in the wood?_" he asked himself. "_It's clearly a trap of some kind…but what if I don't go after them? Then what?_"

Konohamaru then blinked as the answer came to mind, and then he laughed. "Clever brats," he muttered to himself. "They really have figured it out. Alright…I'll humor them. But first, I'll give them ten minutes to get ready. And then let's see what they've got."

* * *

Once the ten minutes were past, Konohamaru finally ventured into the wood after his genin. As he leapt from branch to branch, he realized that it wasn't just a trap.

There were _plenty_ of traps, all waiting for him. Textbook ones to be sure, the kind taught at the academy, but the sheer number made up for the lack of originality.

"_How did they set all these up so quickly?_" he wondered as he paused on a tree branch, studying the trip-wired wood around him and trying to find a way through. "_They couldn't have…oh, no way._"

Konohamaru palmed his face in realization. They didn't have to set the traps up in the ten minutes he'd given them. They must have come to the training grounds early and scouted it out, before setting up the battlefield in advance. Admittedly, it was something of a gamble, but it didn't matter that they didn't know the details of the test, when all they had to do was prove they could work as a team.

That said…

"_They walked into this place the moment the test began._" Konohamaru thought. "_Which means there has to be safe path through all these…let's see…over there!_"

Jumping through the gap and then spying more ahead of him, Konohamaru carefully made his way through the wood, and then turned his head at a flicker of motion. Sure enough, there they were, Mai and Shinachiku, moving to deliberately set off a pair of traps.

Konohamaru quickly threw a set of kunai at them, only for Mikoto to appear out of nowhere and to parry them away from her teammates with her own kunai. The three genin then jumped away as two of their traps set off five other traps, and forced a cursing Konohamaru to use a substitution to avoid dozens of shuriken flying towards him from all sides.

At the same time, he knew that was a gamble in its own way, given how his genin had trapped the whole forest. He'd reappear in a completely random location nearby, and one that could potentially see him dead to rights in their traps.

_Clever brats…!_

As expected, the moment he reappeared, he found himself dodging a pair of logs set to crush him between them, followed by him twisting through the air to avoid a volley of shuriken. And then Mikoto was jumping in, swinging with a kunai.

Konohamaru dodged, grabbed her by a wrist, and then twisting around in mid-air, slammed a drop kick into her torso. 'Mikoto' popped in an instant, revealing herself to be a clone, and then Shinachiku was slamming both feet into Konohamaru's back, simultaneously kicking him down and jumping off.

Another substitution kept Konohamaru from being swept up in a net and them pummeled by needles the way the log he substituted himself with was. Unfortunately, he now found himself having set off yet even more traps, and being forced to dodge or parry dozens of shuriken thrown his way.

"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!" Mikoto breathed, and sending out a volley of small fireballs that swarmed around and then homed in on Konohamaru.

Konohamaru dodged, and threw a windmill shuriken her way, and forcing Mikoto to retreat. Konohamaru moved to pursue, only to be caught in a crossfire between Shinachiku and Mai, who threw handfuls of shuriken at him. Konohamaru parried and dodged, but lost the initiative and found himself in Mikoto's sights.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!" she said, while going through hand seals. And then she breathed out a massive fireball that left a smoking crater in the ground.

Then another explosion shook the entire wood, and sending a large plume of smoke and fire from the middle of the wood. It was a few minutes later that would see a singed Konohamaru climbing out of the ground outside of the wood, having used Earth Release: Hiding like a Mole Technique to get out of _that_ particular trap, his substitution having caused him to emerge in a clearing rigged with explosive tags all around.

"_They really went all out with that one._" Konohamaru thought to himself as he looked towards the rising column of smoke in the distance.

And then he blinked and entered a defensive stance as the three genin jumped out of the wood, throwing all the shuriken they had left at Konohamaru. He blocked with a kunai, sparks flying all around him before dodging a kick to the face by Shinachiku, and then a sliding tackle by Mikoto.

Twisting through the air, Konohamaru kicked Mai away before leveling a drop kick Shinachiku's way. The boy crossed both arms overhead to block, and though he ground his teeth at the force, managed to power through and force Konohamaru back and off-balance.

"_Damn…he got his mother's strength, alright._" Konohamaru thought as he gave way to avoid being taken advantage of as Mikoto charged in, a pair of kunai held with reverse-grips in either hand. A flurry of punches and swings followed, sparks flying between the two of them as Konohamaru parried every last one of Mikoto's blows, and then feinting swung towards her neck.

She dodged only to take an elbow to the face, staggering back with a grunt, but Konohamaru now found himself pressed by Mai from above. Blocking with his kunai, he forced her back, the girl flipping through the air to land behind him and throwing a kick at his side.

Konohamaru blocked again, only to leave himself open as Mikoto came in again, a hand reaching out for and closing around one of the bells. Konohamaru managed to kick her away, but it was too late, one of the bells held firmly in her hand, the other ringing as it fell and bounced across the ground, only to be caught by Shinachiku as he clumsily threw himself across the ground while throwing shuriken at Konohamaru.

It was that exact moment that the alarm clock rang out, the genin and the jounin alike disengaging from each other. There was a moment of profound silence. And then…

"So…did we pass?"

* * *

"Congratulations, Mikoto and Shina." Konohamaru said while cracking his neck. "You got the bells so you both get to keep your headbands. Mai, sorry, but seeing as you don't have a bell, you're going to have to go back to the academy. Hand over your headband and…"

Konohamaru trailed off as bells rang as they were thrown across the ground between them. "No way." Shinachiku said. "Absolutely not…either all of us pass, or all of us go back to the academy."

"We got this far working together." Mikoto chimed in. "So we'll stick together to the very end if we have to."

"Hmm…what about you, Mai?" Konohamaru asked. "Are you alright with your teammates failing with you just so team seven can claim they stuck together to the very end?"

Mai hardened her expression and looked at Konohamaru in the eyes. "Mom always told me that Konoha ninja never sold each other out, or left their own behind." She said. "They told us the same at the academy. Were they wrong?"

Konohamaru hummed as he swept his gaze across his team, and then nodded slowly. "Last chance," he said. "Is this really what you three want?"

"Yes." They chorused, and Konohamaru smiled.

"Then let me rephrase myself." He said. "Congratulations, all three of you: you pass!"

Immediately all three genin relaxed, Mikoto giving a small smile as Shinachiku pumped a fist in triumph, and Mai sighed in relief. "To be honest," Konohamaru continued. "I already knew yesterday that you three had figured out what the test was all about. And about that, you need to be more aware of your surroundings."

"…what?" Mikoto asked, looking and sounding confused.

"I was standing on the academy wall, listening to you three after our first meeting." Konohamaru said, and laughed as Mikoto palmed her face at forgetting ninja could do that. "Now, before you ask why still continue with the genin test when I already knew you got the point behind it, there are three reasons. First, it's traditional. Second, I've got no proof, but I suspect you didn't realize it all on your own, and you found out from somebody. No, it's no problem now, what with the test and all…which leads to the third reason."

Konohamaru paused for effect. "I needed to put you knowing that to the test." He said. "Sure, you can say Konoha ninja always work as a team, that we don't sell each other out or leave one of our own behind, but those are just words. I needed to see you put them into action. And you have. So here we are: team seven."

Konohamaru grinned, and his genin grinned back. "…maybe we'll just be the ones to prove third time's the charm." Mikoto said with a small laugh.

"Hmm…well, no reason we can't." Konohamaru said with a laugh of his own. "And unlike the previous generation, you actually managed to get the bells."

That got a laugh out of Mikoto and Shinachiku, knowing the story from their respective parents. Mai looked confused though, but Konohamaru waved her off. "I'll tell you all about it over lunch." He said. "Now, come on you three. I'll treat you to BBQ for lunch today, to celebrate your passing the genin test."

"Alright, BBQ." Shinachiku said, grinning wider.

"Never say no to a free lunch." Mikoto said.

"Um…shouldn't we disarm all the traps first?" Mai pointed out.

"…huh…good point," Konohamaru agreed before pointing at the wood. "Get to it, you three. I'll supervise."

* * *

Mikoto hummed cheerfully to herself as she walked home after lunch, their jounin sensei having dismissed them for the day with orders to meet up at eight on the following morning, again at Training Ground Three. Apparently, he wanted to start them on training before taking them on missions, which made good sense to her.

She stopped humming though, as she approached their house and heard what was clearly her mother angrily shouting at the top of her voice. Narrowing her eyes, Mikoto palmed a kunai while walking faster, only to relax as the front door slammed open and the familiar form of Suigetsu ran out.

"It was just a…" he shouted back before a thrown windmill shuriken split his body apart in a splash of water. If not for his bloodline limit, it would have been lethal (which was probably the only reason Mikoto's father allowed his wife to go so far whenever Suigetsu set her off).

Quickly reforming, Suigetsu fled, muttering curses as he went. Meanwhile, Mikoto stowed her kunai before rushing home, picking up the windmill shuriken along the way. "Mom, I'm home." She shouted as she went through the front door, and closing it behind her.

Karin Uchiha looked around a corner. "Oh…welcome home." She said, still clearly trying to regain her temper.

"I saw Uncle Suigetsu take a windmill shuriken just now." Mikoto said with veiled amusement. "What did he do this time?"

A vein immediately began to throb on Karin's forehead. "That little sneak thought it was funny to play hide and seek with Itachi using one of the gallon bottles in the kitchen." She snarled. "As if we're actually going to drink what was inside after he'd been through it!"

Mikoto made a face. "That's disgusting." She said.

"Yes, it is." Karin said with a nod. "I'm going to have Sasuke chew him out for it later. Speaking of your father though…how'd your genin test go?"

"…we passed." Mikoto said with a grin. "Not only that, but we actually got the bells."

"Oh I see! So your sensei decided to go with the bell test after all…and you actually managed to get one? Your dad's going to be so proud."

"Considering he couldn't get one in his time…" Mikoto said with a smile.

"Don't be too snide, now." Karin chided her daughter, as they walked into the kitchen. "I know Konohamaru's a good jounin, but at the end of the day he's not Kakashi Hatake. And of course…you don't exactly have baggage the way your father did at the time."

"True enough, mom."

* * *

"Hey there, sweetheart." Tenten said as Mai joined her at the back of their shop. "How'd it go?"

"We passed."

Tenten immediately pulled her daughter into a hug. "Great job, Mai!" she happily said. "I'm sure you'll go far, even if you've only taken the first few steps."

"Thanks, mom." Mai said before looking at what she'd been doing in the back. A truck had parked itself in the parking space, and Tenten had been unloading new deliveries with the help of the truck crew. "Need any help?"

"Oh no, we're fine." Tenten said with a wave of a hand. "More importantly, have you eaten already?"

"Yeah, Konohamaru-sensei treated us out to BBQ after the genin test." Mai said while taking off her jacket. "Come on, mom. Let me help out. I could use the exercise to help burn lunch off."

"Oh, alright."

With Mai's help, the deliveries were unloaded in short order, and after double-checking that everything was good to go, Tenten signed off on some papers, and the truck crew closed the loading doors before driving off. While she'd been doing that, Mai had begun opening the boxes and crates, and unloading the contents on a roller, was about to go and take them away when her mother put a hand on her shoulder.

"Mai," she said. "Go to the front and tell Shinji-kun to help me out here. In the meantime, you man the front desk."

"Got it."

"Oh, and…put your jacket back on, too." Tenten said. "Just a top's not really very presentable looking, you know."

"…oh, right." Mai said, looking down at herself before she went to get her jacket and putting it back on. "Alright mom, I'm off."

Tenten nodded. "Once we're done here, you can go and get changed into something more comfortable." She said.

"Got it!" Mai said over a shoulder before making her way to the store proper, where she relieved her mom's regular assistant, and took his place at the front desk while he went to the back to help Tenten out. The streets outside bustled with people and vehicles going to and fro, but business was usually slow at this time of the day, so Mai could sit back and put her feet up, and even read a book she kept in a small drawer for times like this.

At least, she was about to, when one of her classmates from the academy, one Ayumi Nakamura passed by on the street, and noticing Mai inside, rushed in to point at the Konoha headband hanging around Mai's neck.

"Oh, no way." Ayumi said in disbelief. "You actually passed?"

Mai grinned and sat up. "Naturally," she said while sticking her tongue out.

"Oh damn it…start talking, you!"

* * *

Naruto adjusted his son's headband, and then placed his hands on Shinachiku's shoulders. "Great work, Shina." Naruto said, his voice heavy with emotion. "You know…me, your mom, and Sasuke…we couldn't even get close to those bells. And no matter what anyone else says, Konohamaru's just as good as Kakashi-sensei was and is. You did good, son. I'm proud of you."

"…thanks, dad." Shinachiku said, and Naruto chuckled while patting him on a shoulder.

"Don't get too comfortable, though." He said. "You still have a long way to go. Anyway…what's next for you guys? I'm also guessing Konohamaru treated you for lunch?"

"He did…and then he dismissed us for the day."

"Damn…and I was going to take you out for lunch too…" Naruto said with marked disappointment before pacing for a bit. And then getting an idea, snapped his fingers. "Well, if I can't take you out for lunch to celebrate your passing the genin test, I can take you out for dinner. Why don't you pass by the hospital and tell your mom?"

"Leave it to me, dad." Shinachiku said with a mock salute. "What about Hanami, though?"

Naruto glanced at the clock on his office's wall. "Hanami's still in class right now." He said. "I'll pick her up after work and bring her along."

"Great…where do we meet?"

"…your mom's shift ends after mine," Naruto said after a moment's thought, while walking towards his desk and sitting on its edge. "We'll pass by the house so Hanami and me can freshen up, and then we can go meet your mom at the hospital once her shift ends. Then we'll see where we'll eat tonight."

"Tossing a coin to see who'll get to choose, dad?" Shinachiku asked with a knowing smile.

"You know it." Naruto said with a shrug. "Anyway, I've still got work to do, and you've got the rest of the day off. Seeing as you'll soon be very busy with training and missions, you should go and enjoy this rare day off."

"Alright dad," Shinachiku said with a nod. "I'll pass by the hospital first, then I'll head on home. See you later."

Naruto held up a hand in goodbye as his son left, closing the office door behind him. Turning to one side, Naruto picked up one of the papers on his desk, and sighing at the mundane contents, got up to walk around his desk and sit down in his chair before getting back to work.

A Hokage's job was never done.

* * *

A/N

Update time, with the previous generation making their appearance, plus the classic bell test. Though with this version of team seven having a healthier dynamic between them, things go better as they actually work together (that, and Konohamaru isn't going to go all out on genin).


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.

In the Future

Chapter 2

"Come on, Shina, Mikoto! Pick up the pace, you're both three laps behind Mai! Move it!"

'Training' as Konohamaru described it started with running laps around Training Ground Number Three, all the while going through each and every hand seal in sequence over and over again. Apparently, the former was to find, reach, and then push the limits of their stamina, while the latter was meant to get them to start being able to perform any and all hand seals unconsciously, as well as to speed up the rate they could be done at.

By this point, it was nearly ten in the morning, and they'd been going at it for almost two hours. And while the three of them had easily kept pace at the start, Shinachiku and Mikoto began to show signs of struggling at the one-hour mark, and as they approached the two-hour mark, were clearly having difficulty breathing and keeping the dexterity for the second component of this particular exercise.

As they came around for another lap, Konohamaru held up an arm, and motioned for Mai to stop. "Alright Mai, you're done." He said, before gesturing at Shinachiku and Mikoto. "Both of you, finish those three laps you're behind on, and then five-minute break!"

"I can keep going." Mai said. Despite the fact that she was slick with sweat, and was also heaving to an extent, she didn't look any worse of for all that.

"Yeah, I'm sure you can." Konohamaru said with a nod, and then nodded to where Shina and Mikoto were struggling to finish another three laps around the training ground. "But they can't, and you're supposed to be a team."

"Huh…put like that…"

Konohamaru nodded. "Cooldown exercises," he said while looking at Mai. "And then you can rest."

"Yes, sensei."

Konohamaru nodded again and turned away from Mai, leaving his student to do cooldown exercises on her own. Focusing back on his other students, he raised his hands to his mouth to project his voice. "Come on, you can do it!" he shouted encouragement. "Two more laps, you two! And Shina, I saw that! You skipped two seals on that last sequence! Start over!"

"…g-got it…" Shinachiku gasped out.

"Keep at it!" Konohamaru shouted. "You're almost through!"

"Y-yes, s-sensei…!" both Mikoto and Shinachiku struggled to respond, and Konohamaru shook his head while stepping back.

_Those two unexpectedly have some of my work cut out for me._

* * *

"Alright, five-minute break everyone." Konohamaru said as both Shinachiku and Mikoto finished their cooldown exercises, and then both of the latter collapsed heaving on the ground. Mikoto pulled out a water bottle and took a long drink, and offered it to Shinachiku. The blonde gratefully accepted, and taking a long drink of his own, passed it back to Mikoto who poured much of what was left over her head. Shaking her head, she sent water drops flying everywhere as her crimson locks flailed around her.

"Man, and I thought I was fit." Shinachiku said while pulling off his headband to wipe at the skin underneath.

"You are." Konohamaru agreed. "Whether as academy students or as freshly-commissioned genin, you both have the stamina for it. But that's not enough. You need more, and we'll be working on it for the next month or so."

Shinachiku gave a groan before collapsing on his back. "Don't let it get to you." Konohamaru said with a small laugh. "The first week will be the hardest, but it'll get easier from then on."

"…really?'

"Yeah," Konohamaru said. "Like I said, you're both quite fit already. So you shouldn't worry about things like cramps or things like that. That said, you might need to eat just a little bit more to have the fuel to burn to come with increased stamina."

"…okay…I got it…"

"…Mai did much better than we did." Mikoto observed, fighting the urge to fall on her back like Shinachiku did. "Why is that?"

"Hmm…I have an idea about that." Konohamaru said while looking between the two genin in question. "How to put it…yes. Now that I think about it, I'd say you and Shina have had a much more sheltered upbringing compared to Mai here."

"What?" Mikoto and Shinachiku chorused, the latter still lying on his back.

"Don't misunderstand." Konohamaru said. "I know you both trained outside of the academy even before graduating, but when all is said and done, neither of you had a physically-demanding life prior to now. Mai though…from what I gather, you helped your mom around her shop, right?"

"That's right." Mai confirmed. "That, and mom is something of a…health? Fitness…enthusiast."

"I'm not surprised." Konohamaru said. "She was Maito Gai's student, and a teammate of Lee-sempai. And you know how they are."

"…lucky you…" Shinachiku groaned, and with a groan of her own, Mikoto also gave in to the temptation and lay back on the grass. Mai snickered at the sight.

"Wow…here and now, you two could start a club with Hitomi-chan." She teased. Shinachiku ignored her, while Mikoto just made a weak, dismissing gesture with one hand.

Konohamaru looked at his wristwatch. "Alright," he said with a sigh. "I'll extend break by another five minutes, but don't get used to it. And that's your last extension for the day. Once your second five minutes are done, we'll continue with training."

"…got it." Both Mikoto and Shinachiku groaned out, and Mai snickered again before getting to her feet.

"Here," she said, walking over to her teammates. "Give me your water bottles, I'll refill them over at the stream while you two rest."

"…thanks, Mai." Shinachiku said, while pulling his empty bottle from his jacket, and handing it to her.

"What he said." Mikoto said, also giving her near-empty water bottle to Mai.

Mai just smiled wider, and headed over to the nearby stream while her teammates caught their breath.

* * *

"Right, my cute little genin," Konohamaru cheerfully said, standing with his genin team at the very edge of the training ground's wood, and ignoring some muttering about his wording on the part of Shinachiku. "We still have an hour and a half before I plan to have us break for lunch, so for the next hour, I'll have you learn how to climb trees."

To their credit, none of team seven mentioned that they already knew how to climb trees. Well, Mai almost did, only to be beaten to the punch by Mikoto. "So…this is where we learn how to walk up vertical surfaces?" she asked.

"Exactly," Konohamaru said with a nod, and to demonstrate, he approached the nearest tree, and literally walked up the trunk, all the way to the top, and then back down again. "It's called the Tree Climbing Practice, and is the next step on chakra control exercises."

"Next step?" Mai asked.

"I'm guessing the Leaf Concentration Practice from back in our first year at the academy was the first step." Mikoto said.

"Right again." Konohamaru said with another nod. "That one is enough to develop the basic level of chakra control needed to be even able to perform ninjutsu or any chakra-based skill in the first place, but it's not enough. Well, it is actually, but without refining your chakra control further, even if you could perform a technique, the amount of chakra you'd be using with such limited chakra control would be far greater that what you should be using. And that doesn't go into the practical applications of refined chakra control."

Konohamaru paused, and then gestured at the tree he'd just walked up and down on. "I don't really need to explain how this can be applied to outside of chakra control, do I?" he asked rhetorically.

"No, sensei." Team seven chorused, and Konohamaru nodded.

"The trick with this exercise is to channel your chakra through your feet, similar to how you channel chakra through your foreheads with the Leaf Concentration Practice." He said. "The differences here, are a) you need more to stick to a tree than you would to stick a leaf to yourself, and b) you need to find a balance."

"A balance?" Mikoto asked.

"Exactly," Konohamaru said. "Too little, and you won't be able to get a grip. Too much, and you either push yourself off the tree, or the tree's surface collapses from the chakra you're pumping into it, and you lose your grip as a result. Now, each of you, get a kunai and pick a tree."

Team seven did as instructed, while Konohamaru walked over to one side. "This should take you a few days to get down," He said. "So don't get discouraged if you can barely go more than a few steps up a tree today. Feel free to get a running start as well."

"What do we use the kunai for?" Shinachiku asked.

"Oh right…" Konohamaru said with a scratch to the top of his head. "Use the kunai to mark your progress. Ready…? Then start…!"

All three genin ran towards their chosen trees, and then channeling chakra through their feet, struggled to stick to the surface and literally walk – well, _run_ – up their trunks. Mai managed to get four steps up before the bark exploded under her feet, and she was forced back to the ground. Mikoto managed to get up to five steps before the same happened to her, and Konohamaru had to hold back a smirk of amusement at their frustrated expressions.

It was a smirk that died the moment it appeared on his face, as Shinachiku kept on going. He wavered as he passed a third of the way up, and then regaining his focus, shakily kept on going all the way to the top. He wavered again on reaching there, and then regaining his focus, grinned as he struck a pose.

"Well, that was easy." He bragged.

"Oh, no way!" Mai and Mikoto chorused with marked envy on the ground.

"…ugh…I should have seen that coming." Konohamaru said while scratching his head. "Sakura-nee had perfect chakra control too. Figures in addition to her strength, Shina would also get her perfect chakra control as well."

Sighing to himself, he turned to his other genin. "Right…enough gawking you two," he said. "Get back to practicing."

"Yes, sensei." They chorused before doing as they were told.

Konohamaru then turned back to Shinachiku. "Shina," he called up the tree. "Get back down here, and then practice until you can get up and down without losing your focus even once."

"Got it, sensei." Shinachiku responded, and did as he was told. As it was, it took another three tries before he managed to work out what kinks he had in his chakra control, and then Konohamaru was motioning for him to follow.

"You two keep at it, I've got something else for Shina." He said to Mai and Mikoto. They chorused their understanding, and then led Shinachiku towards the stream. The latter halted at the bank, and looked on as Konohamaru continued walking, on the surface of the water, and halted in the middle of the deepest part of the stream.

"Same principle?" Shinachiku asked.

"Fundamentally, yes." Konohamaru said with a nod. "However, you have to take into account the difference between a tree and, well, flowing water. The surface of the former is fixed and solid, so the amount of chakra you channel is constant. The latter is liquid and constantly shifts, and so you need to constantly adjust the amount of chakra you channel to be able to walk with on top of the water. This is the Water Surface Walking Practice, the final and most advanced level of chakra control exercises. If you don't have to think about the amount of chakra you need to use and can just do it by instinct, as this exercise is meant to develop, then your chakra control has reached its general peak."

"General peak?" Shinachiku questioningly echoed.

"Different techniques have different chakra requirements." Konohamaru answered. "Adjusting for them is arguably a form of chakra control exercise, though since it depends on which techniques you're able to perform in the first place…"

"…it's subjective." Shinachiku said with a nod. "I get it. Can I still use a running start for this?"

Konohamaru gave a small smile. "How about you find out for yourself?" he asked back.

"…right." Shinachiku said before taking a deep breath, and then briskly jogged forward while channeling chakra through his feet. To his surprise, despite doing exactly as he did earlier with the three, his foot went through the water the moment he stepped on it, and between the surprise and not really looking where he was going, he tripped on a stone underwater and fell face-first into the water.

Konohamaru burst out laughing. "Sorry, Shina." He said as Shinachiku pushed himself spluttering out of the water. "But perfect chakra control isn't as broken here as it is with previous exercises. That said, it should still be easier for you than with most…even if it will still take you a few days to get it down. Now, get back on the ground, and start again."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it." Shinachiku muttered, getting back on the bank before taking off his jacket and shirt, followed by his arm warmers. Konohamaru raised an eyebrow at that, though he kept quiet as Shinachiku started practicing.

* * *

"Whoa…" Naruto said with raised eyebrows as team seven responded to his office after lunch. "You three look like you've had a hell of a day. Also, why does Genin Mai have a black eye?"

"Training accident." Shinachiku quickly said, sounding very apologetic, and Naruto decided not to push any further.

"Right…" he said before giving a cough and then looking at Konohamaru. "…anyway…after you didn't show up earlier, I was half-expecting team seven to not get any missions until they'd reached some level or something of yours…"

"Not…really…" Konohamaru said while rubbing the back of his head. "It's just that I plan to split the day between training and missions, that's all."

"Uh-huh…and trying to get the most tiresome missions out of the way for those teams who pass by in the morning," Naruto said with a knowing smirk. "Unfortunately…D-ranks _never _run out."

"…yeah, I know that."

"Uh-huh…" Naruto repeated, still keeping his knowing smirk. "Moving on…let's see what missions I can give you for this afternoon…any preferences, you three?"

"Surprise inspection of one of the shadier businesses in New Konoha?" Mikoto asked.

"…looking for illegal labs and stuff under the village?" Shinachiku asked.

"Hunting for criminals on the run or in hiding in the village?" Mai asked.

Naruto paused rummaging through his available mission scrolls, and squinted at them. "Huh? What?" he asked before resuming rummaging through mission scrolls. "No, no, no…those are C or B-rank missions. Genin don't get the latter, and the rule is no C-ranks until after a month following graduation. And even then you can only get one C-rank per month. All barring special circumstances, of course."

He then paused, and pulled out a mission scroll marked as a D-rank. "And no," he firmly said. "None of those special circumstances apply here and now."

"So what are we going to do this afternoon?" Shinachiku asked.

Opening the mission scroll, Konohamaru raised an eyebrow before speaking. "According to this," he began. "Our mission this afternoon is to clear out a noble's belongings from a penthouse in New Konoha that he, no, _she _sold off, before making sure everything gets properly loaded on the truck that'll be taking it back to the capital."

"WHAT?" team seven loudly chorused.

"You heard your sensei." Naruto said with a barking laugh. "Now, off you go, you've got a mission to do. Do your best, and see you later when you report mission accomplished."

Naruto grinned while waving goodbye as Konohamaru shepherded his three shell-shocked genin out of Naruto's office. As the door closed, Mikoto finally exploded followed by Shinachiku and Mai, their outraged protests getting cut off by the door. Naruto laughed again at that.

Ah…D-ranks…no matter how many years passed, they never changed, and neither did newly-minted genin's reactions to them. It was almost like a form of hazing in its own way, if described in a more…formal, fashion.

* * *

"I can't believe we actually have to do this." Shinachiku fumed, carefully removing small, ivory and porcelain figures from a glass display, and then carefully wrapping them in old newspapers, placed them one by one into a wooden box padded with straw and divided with cut cardboard.

"Now, now," Mai said, carefully folding silken sheets one by one before putting them inside another box. "We've got a job to do, and while I'm not happy about it either, let's just do our best and get it over with. I mean, it's not like we're not getting paid for this."

"…when you put it that way…"

"I'm more worried about what Uncle Naruto said." Mikoto said, walking from another room and carrying three wooden boxes stacked one on top of each other. She placed them on a roller and then wiped at her face.

"Which part?" Mai asked.

"The part where he implied genin can only do one C-rank per month." Mikoto replied. "And we're stuck doing D-ranks all the time otherwise, at least until we get promoted to chuunin."

"Well, that's not exactly incorrect." Konohamaru chimed in, walking in with a large wooden box of his own. All talk stopped as Mikoto lifted the boxes she'd placed on the roller earlier, allowing their jounin sensei to place his bigger, heavier box at the bottom. "Until you become chuunin, that's exactly the mission limitations you'll be working under. Once you get promoted though, then you can freely choose missions up to B-rank."

"That sucks!" Shinachiku angrily protested. "Who came up with such a stupid rule?"

"…that would be the Sixth Hokage, Kakashi Hatake." Konohamaru replied after a moment's thought. "If I remember right, the reasoning was that it would allow genin to develop their skills and other proficiencies at a slower and more leisurely pace instead of rushing forward as they used to before the rule was implemented. Not necessarily a bad idea too…"

"Damn it, Uncle Kakashi…" Shinachiku muttered.

"Wait, didn't Hokage-sama mention special circumstances?" Mai asked. "What are those?"

"Emergency situations, like war or natural disasters." Konohamaru said with a shrug, though his eyes and voice quickly turned stern. "And I expect better of you than to wish for either. I might not have fought on the frontlines of the Fourth Shinobi World War, but whether it was rear echelon duty…or months before that, during Pain's attack on the village…war and battle might sound exciting and glamorous, but the reality is anything but. Trust me on this one: peace is something you should cherish and strive to protect, because once it's gone…there are so many things you'll come to regret."

"Sorry, sensei." Mai said glumly.

"Yeah, we didn't mean to come across as wanting something bad to happen." Shinachiku said.

"…it's alright." Konohamaru said with a sigh. "I was a genin too, once. So I understand just how…dull, D-ranks can get. Just…don't let it get to you."

"Yes, sensei." His genin chorused, and Konohamaru nodded.

"Right then," he said. "Get back to work, time's wasting."

"Yes, sensei!"

* * *

It was already evening by the time they finished, and after making sure the truck was loaded up and secured, Konohamaru signed off responsibility to the truck crew before taking his team back to the Hokage's office in Old Konoha. By this point, New Konoha's nightlife was in full swing, and the streets were packed full of people bustling out of their day jobs for a night out in town to drown their worries with food, drink, fun, and for many, sex.

It was quite a hassle getting through the crowds, and more than once team seven's genin glumly and enviously noted other ninjas speeding by along the skyline, taking advantage of skills developed by the Tree Climbing Practice to bypass the crowded streets below. Well, Konohamaru and Shinachiku could do the same, but with neither Mai nor Mikoto having mastered said skills yet…

…team seven had to stick together to the very end, after all.

"Finally!" Shinachiku cheered as they came to the more sedate, relaxed, _rustic _even, surroundings of Old Konoha. "This is more like it!"

"Yeah, I like this part of the village better." Mikoto said while stretching her arms overhead. "Don't get me wrong, I know New Konoha is just as much a part of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, and there are places I like there too, but Old Konoha is much more homey in general."

"No argument there." Konohamaru grunted, just as disgruntled by struggling through New Konoha's crowds.

"You said you liked some parts of New Konoha, though." Mai remarked. "Which ones?"

"The Sky Gardens are nice." Mikoto immediately said. "Crystal Park is also a great place to hang out in."

That led to a chorus of agreement across team seven, the conversation taking a turn for the better and becoming less disparaging of the crowded nightlife of New Konoha as they made their way to the Hokage's Tower. "Go right ahead," Shizune said as they passed by her desk, the dark-haired woman clearing away her desk in preparation for the end of the day. "Hokage-sama is expecting you all."

Team seven gave her a nod as they did as invited, Konohamaru knocking politely before entering to a muffled invitation through the door. Entering, they found the Hokage sitting at the windowsill, looking out over the village with arms crossed over his chest.

"Hey," he greeted them, as they closed the door. "Mission accomplished, I take it? Or do you have to come back tomorrow?"

"Mission accomplished, of course."

"Good, good," Naruto said. "It's not really a problem at all if you had to finish tomorrow, but I had to extend by…an hour or so, waiting to see if you'd finish today."

"Did other teams come by in that hour?" Mikoto asked.

"A few," Naruto said with a nod, walking over to his desk, and receiving the mission scroll from Konohamaru marked it with a seal to indicate its accomplished status. Pressing a few buttons on a panel on his desk, Naruto nodded. "There…your pay for the day should be credited directly to your accounts."

"Great job, guys!" Konohamaru cheered, pulling his surprised genin team into an impromptu hug. "Congratulations on finishing the first ever mission of your genin career!"

"…and it was such a fulfilling and life-changing one too." Mikoto sarcastically remarked, though she quickly smiled to take the edge off. "Oh well, at least the money's good."

"There is that." Shinachiku agreed.

"And it is _our _money." Mai added. "As in we earned it ourselves."

"That's the spirit." Konohamaru said with a grin, and hugging his genin again. "There's always a silver lining, kids. Look for it, and take pride in it no matter how hard things get. Otherwise…well, being down and grumpy gets boring really quick."

"Yes, sensei!"

Naruto laughed while pulling up a keyboard on his desk and typing away with his eyes focused on a screen built into the desk. "Not bad, Konohamaru." He said. "Just don't get carried away that you end up like either Gai or Lee."

"…I don't really think that's something to worry about." Konohamaru replied after a moment. "Right, boss? Boss…?"

Naruto waved him off. "You're dismissed for the day, Konohamaru, team seven." He said. "Shina, no need to wait for me. I'll be heading home in a bit, maybe a bit late for dinner, but I'll be home."

"No worries, dad." Shinachiku said with a mock salute. "See you later. Oh, and…Konohamaru-sensei's nothing like Uncle Lee, or Gai-san. No worries in that direction."

Naruto laughed again. "I know, kid." He said, finally looking up. "Glad to see and hear you sticking up for your sensei, though."

"Of course," Konohamaru said with a grateful squeeze of Shinachiku's shoulder. "We're team seven after all. And we have to stick together."

"Besides," Mikoto chimed in. "If there's anyone Konohamaru-sensei is trying to be like, it's Uncle Kakashi. He already calls us his 'cute little genin'."

"Hey…!" Konohamaru protested, and Naruto laughed again.

"Oh really?" Naruto asked. "Well, that's fine. There are worse people to be compared to, and I'm sure Kakashi-sensei would be flattered you're trying to echo his style. Anyway, see you later Shina. Or tomorrow, for the rest of you."

"Bye dad. See you later." Shina said, as he left along with the rest of team seven.

Naruto waved them away, and then turned back to the screen as the door closed behind team seven.

* * *

A/N

Update time, though nothing really much to say in this A/N.


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.

In the Future

Chapter 3

"This is Jadeite," Mikoto spoke softly into her mouthpiece, perched in hiding on a branch high on a tall tree overlooking one of the Konoha suburbs. "Target is approaching zone of operations, acknowledge."

"This is Nephrite." Shinachiku said just as softly into his mouthpiece, similarly perched on top of an electric post a good distance away. "Acknowledged, standing by to close the gap."

"This is Zoisite," Mai also softly spoke into her mouthpiece, lying prone on the ground and peering through a series of bushes along one side of the street. "Acknowledged, standing by to deploy the package."

"Acknowledged, standing by." Mikoto said.

"Standing by." Shinachiku said.

"Standby…standby…" Mai murmured, making a half-seal and ready to make the other half on a moment's notice, as the target wandered into the zone of operations, towards the target site.

The target, a brown-furred tabby with grey markings sniffed at the air suspiciously before apparently dismissing whatever misgivings it might have, and continued to pad down the street. Its destination was a plastic plate set in the middle of the street, on which was a single fish, freshly-purchased from a local grocery store, specifically as bait for the approaching cat.

The cat crossed the boundary of the sealing circle placed on the ground, around the plate, and sniffed at the air once more before approaching the plate. It poked at the fish suspiciously a couple of times, and then sitting down with its tail curling behind it, looked around. And then moving almost too fast for an untrained Human eye to follow, it swiped its claws at the fish, as if to see if there was something…off, about it.

The fish being, well, a _fish_, didn't react to being cut up by a cat's claws. A moment later, and the cat got up, its suspicions satisfied, and padding closer, began to eat. "The target has reached ground zero." Mai said with a grin. "Please confirm."

"Deploy the package." Mikoto ordered.

"Acknowledged." Mai said, and finished her hand-seal. At the gesture, the sealing circle erupted in a cloud of stun gas, the cat jumping out with a yowl of angry surprise only to stagger away, tottering after a few steps to collapse unconscious on the ground. "Target is down! I repeat, target is down!"

"Yeah!" Mikoto said with a grin.

"Alright!" Shinachiku said, already moving in towards Mai's position, leaping from one electric post to another to get there. "We fucking did it!"

"Language, Shina." Mikoto said, also moving in while switching frequencies. "K-One, this is Jadeite. Mission completed, I repeat, mission completed."

"…acknowledged, Jadeite." Konohamaru replied after a moment. "Proceed to rendezvous point, acknowledge."

"Acknowledged."

Turning off the radio, Mikoto hurried to where her fellow genin were, and arrived in time to see Mai locking the cage their quarry had been placed in. Bending down for a closer look, she raised an eyebrow. "It looks out." She observed.

"That's because it is out." Mai replied with a roll of her eyes. "That stun gas I placed in the trap seal was top shelf stuff, the kind they use to bring in priority targets like traitor nobles and escaped convicts. Cost quite a bit, too."

"Huh…good stuff." Mikoto observed. "Anyway, let's get moving to where Konohamaru-sensei's waiting for us."

"Sounds good to me." Shinachiku said with a nod before scowling. "Let's finish this job before the little monster wakes up."

"That'll take a while." Mai said, lifting the cage for a closer look. "Like I said, top shelf stuff."

"True."

* * *

Konohamaru regarded the unconscious cat inside the cage with a deadpan look, and then turned back to his genin. They'd just finished explaining to him how they managed to catch the cat, and he couldn't quite believe his ears. "Let me get this straight," he said. "You _gassed _the cat."

"Yes." They chorused.

"…couldn't you have found a different way to bring it in?" he asked.

"We tried wires the last time." Mai reminded him. "The cat was just too fast. And we don't know to do a lightning release stun trap…"

"…which might just kill it…" Shinachiku murmured.

"…and that would result in mission failed." Mai said with a nod, and then added to her previous statement after a moment. "…we'd have to pay the owner damages too if that happened."

"None of us know how to do genjutsu yet either." Mikoto chimed in. "That would probably be the cleanest option. Something to keep in mind too, for when we already know how to use genjutsu and we still have to chase that stupid cat."

"This is the fifth time this month we had to do that." Shinachiku groused. "Stupid cat…why doesn't his owner just chain him?"

"…not really any of our business, Shina." Konohamaru said with a sigh. "Anyway…mission accomplished, I guess. Come on you three. Let's go back to the Hokage's Tower and hand this over to collect our pay for this mission."

The three genin nodded in acknowledgement, and followed Konohamaru up onto the rooftops and across the suburbs to Konoha proper, and thence towards the Hokage's Tower. It had been a month now since they'd become full-fledged genin of the Hidden Leaf, and they'd progressed well since. That they were now able to keep up with their jounin sensei while leaping across the skyline was proof of that, Mai and Mikoto having completed the Tree Climbing Practice within three days of starting the exercise though it had taken them another week to finish the Water Surface Walking Practice (Shinachiku though had finished two days after they'd started thanks to his innate chakra control, to much envy on their part).

Mikoto and Shinachiku had also managed to catch up with Mai during their endurance training by the middle of the second week, though that only meant Konohamaru adding more laps to further push their boundaries. He'd also considered adding obstacles to further increase the difficulty, though for now he held off on that thought.

Konohamaru had thus far refrained from teaching them new ninjutsu, instead focusing on their taijutsu. Mikoto was typical of her clan in that regard, focusing on speed and precision, at the expense of power and endurance, something Konohamaru intended to correct. Shinachiku though was the opposite, preferring to weather an enemy's attack and then break them down with powerful counterattacks, again – somehow – typical of his parents. He sacrificed speed and precision for that though, which was again something Konohamaru intended to correct.

Mai was the least concerning here, her style being a balance between speed, precision, power, and endurance. And while Konohamaru had expected to have to nudge her towards personalizing her style beyond the academy standard, he was pleasantly surprised there was no need for that, Mai having already done so (likely with personal training from her mother considering the weapons-oriented personalization she sported).

Considering all that on the way to the Hokage's Tower, plus a month having passed, Konohamaru wondered if the time was right to take his team out on their first C-rank mission.

"Good job with capturing Miko…again," Naruto said and finishing with a sigh, a chuunin carrying away the angrily yowling and hissing cat in its cage out of his office, to a waiting area for its owner to pick up. "And seeing as there's still a few hours left in the day, there are other missions here available…let's see…"

Konohamaru gave a cough. "Pardon the interruption, Hokage-sama." He began. "But if possible, I'd like to request a C-rank mission for my team. If so, then I'd like to dismiss them early to make preparations are needed."

Mai, Mikoto, and Shinachiku looked at Konohamaru in surprise, though they quickly schooled themselves – badly – to avoid looking overly-enthusiastic at the prospect of a C-rank. "A C-rank, huh?" Naruto asked with a small smile, resting his head against an elbow. "Well, it has been a month already, so why not?"

The smile widened further as the genin's expression continued to slip in their excitement. "Alright, let's see what we've got." Naruto said while sitting up. He went through his files, nodded, and entering a series of commands printed out a scroll before filling in the necessary details. Rolling it up, he sealed it and handed it to Konohamaru. "Return here to my morning to receive the mission package. Your mission is to keep it secure, and carry it to the border guard post of the Land of Grass, where a team from Hidden Grass will be picking it up to carry it to its final destination."

"Understood, Hokage-sama." Konohamaru said with a nod. Naruto nodded, and dismissed team seven. Filing out of his office, the moment they were in the clear and their excitement couldn't be held back any further.

"Finally!" Shinachiku burst out. "A C-rank! I am so sick and tired of D-ranks! Even if it's courier duty, it's a world of improvement over everything we've done over the past month!"

"Oh come on." Mai said. "They weren't that bad."

"…oh really?" Shinachiku asked deadpan. "Are you saying you enjoyed cleaning up dog shit over at the Inuzuka kennels? Or deer shit in the Nara clan grounds? Or how about…"

"…okay, okay, okay!" Mai gave in. "I get your point. That said, while some of the D-ranks were definitely…bad, not all of them were. As I recall, you enjoyed those three days we spent helping reorganizing the central library, didn't you?"

"I guess I did." Shinachiku muttered, and Mai grinned.

"See?" she said. "Like I said, not all bad."

Shinachiku muttered some more, before turning to the unusually-thoughtful Mikoto. "Something wrong?" he asked. "Earlier, you were just as excited, but now…"

"I was just thinking, that's all." She said.

"About what?"

"The C-rank curse."

Shinachiku and Mai looked at her flatly, and then the former gave a sigh. "Not again," he said. "You and your superstitions, Mikoto."

Mikoto gave him a flat look in her turn. "You never know about these things." She said. "The Sage of the Six Paths was also supposed to be just a legend. Oh wait…didn't our parents meet him at the end of the war?"

"…that was different."

"Really?"

"…"

Mikoto snorted and laughed. "Yeah, that's what I thought." She said, smirking as Shinachiku fumed in frustration.

"…anyway," Mai said with a cough. "What's the C-rank curse?"

"It's an old superstition about how every ninja's first C-rank mission always goes wrong one way or another." Konohamaru answered. "Complete nonsense, of course. My first C-rank went off without a hitch, as did the first C-ranks of plenty of ninja. And while just as many had a few issues, when all is said and done, they weren't anything serious. Those that did are probably just the result of random chance, that of anything that can go wrong actually going wrong."

"Then let's hope our C-rank tomorrow doesn't end up in the last category." Mikoto said while scratching her head. "Our team's designation doesn't really bode well on that note, considering what the previous team seven's first C-rank ended up becoming."

"…yeah, let's not tempt fate here." Konohamaru said, and Shinachiku giving Mikoto a light tap on an arm. The redhead just raised an eyebrow at her blonde friend and teammate.

"I thought it was just a silly superstition?" She asked with a small smile. He couldn't answer, and she smiled wider.

Konohamaru coughed. "Anyway," he said. "Considering the global situation and comparing it to the one we and your parents grew up in…nothing like that should happen. So…dismissed for the day, but be sure to arrive here at the Hokage's Tower by eight tomorrow morning. We'll leave for the Land of Grass once get what we're supposed to be carrying, so be sure you have all your supplies and other stuff with you by then."

"Got, sensei." Team seven chorused, and Konohamaru nodded.

"Now, off you go."

* * *

"A C-rank mission?" Sasuke Uchiha asked with a faintly-curious look on his face as he poured himself a glass of water in his house's kitchen.

"That's right." Mikoto said with a nod, and placing ration packs into a sealing scroll on the kitchen table. Making a hand-seal, she sealed them inside the scroll, which she then rolled up and placed with a stack of other scrolls.

Sasuke grunted as he took a seat at the table, unbuckling his jounin vest and pulling it off before removing the polished, star-shaped badge that his father had worn before him, just as it had been worn by every Uchiha Clan head for generations past. It would be worn by Mikoto in her turn too…if that was the path she chose, of course.

It was the badge of the Chief of the Konoha Military Police. Four-pointed, enameled in sea-green, and bearing at its heart the red and white fan of the Uchiha Clan.

At the end of the war, following months of solitary confinement within the Konoha Detention Center, Sasuke had left the village for three years, on what he could only describe as a journey of atonement for the crimes he had committed in the years leading up to the war. In those years, he had wandered the continent, not just the Land of Fire but surrounding countries as well, discreetly and at times, covertly, eliminating what seeds of potential threats to the new peace he could find, and establishing a new spy network much like Jiraiya of the Sannin once had, to provide information to the village of any potential threat and matter of interest they could find.

He had returned at the end of those three years, to attend the wedding of his former teammates Naruto and Sakura, and following which he'd received a surprising offer from the Sixth Hokage, Kakashi Hatake, to rebuild the Konoha Military Police Force. After all, it had been customary for the Uchiha Clan Head to be its chief, therefore who better than Sasuke to rebuild it?

Sasuke had initially refused, stung with indignation and remembering how the military police had originally been meant to isolate the Uchiha and prevent them from obtaining other positions inside the village. In response, Kakashi had only said one sentence, again surprising Sasuke and causing him to retract his previous statement.

_It's entirely up to you whether or not the military police will be a chain or the legacy of the Uchiha, Sasuke._

In the end, Sasuke had agreed…though only in part because of Kakashi's reasoning. In the decade since, he'd rebuilt the military police, made up of ninjas and (former) civilians alike, and reestablish the force's reputation and respectability, especially in light of the village's explosive growth in size, population, and diversity after the war.

The biggest change though, was yet to come. While the military police chief was traditionally meant to be the head of the Uchiha Clan, Sasuke planned to offer it as a choice to his daughter. If she didn't want to be police chief, then he would respect and support her decision.

That would break the chain, and ensure the legacy of the clan forever. After all, how can the Uchiha be limited to the military police when his daughter had a successful name for herself outside of it? And how could the military police not be their legacy, when no matter who led it, it was their clan's emblem which was symbolic of it?

"Where?" Sasuke asked. "And what's it all about?"

"The Land of Grass," Karin beat her daughter to the punch. "They'll be playing courier from what Mikoto tells me."

Sasuke grunted again as he digested what his wife told him. "Don't get careless, Mikoto." He finally said. "Things might be calmer now than they used to be, but things can still get dangerous these days."

"I know, dad." Mikoto said. "And careless? Me?"

"…it only takes a single moment with your guard down." Sasuke responded.

"…point." Mikoto conceded.

"Listen to your father, Mikoto." Karin sternly said. "The Land of Grass is probably among the most dangerous places in the world right now. Ever since the war ended and the Five Great Nations began getting along really well…the Land of Grass being in the middle of the Lands of Earth and Fire have made it into a hotbed of trouble."

"…what kind of trouble?" Mikoto asked, looking uneasy.

"Nothing overt, if at all." Sasuke said. "Hidden Grass has managed to keep it under wraps at the daimyo's behest, but take a look under the table, peek into the shadows, and start tipping stones…"

"Hey, Sasuke!" Karin snapped. "Don't give your daughter any ideas!"

Sasuke just shrugged, and Karin turned back to their daughter. "Long story short," she said. "Plots, conspiracies, and counter-plots between the gods know how many groups and organizations are all over the place in the Land of Grass. Stick to your mission, get it done, and get out."

Mikoto held up her hands. "Got it, mom." She said. "I don't want any trouble."

"That's more like it." Karin said, turning back to her cooking. "You're much too like me and your father when we were at your age. Considering all the trouble we got into…"

As Karin ranted on and on about what she and her husband had gotten into in their youth, Sasuke and Mikoto shared a resigned look between them. And then sighing, Sasuke gestured for Mikoto to leave and continue with her preparations for tomorrow, leaving Sasuke alone to handle Karin's reminiscing and potential explosion.

He loved the woman, but by the gods, she could be quite the nag.

* * *

"The Land of Grass, huh?" Tenten said. "It could get really dangerous over there. Especially when you're going to be on courier duty."

"I've heard stories, but is it really that bad?" Mai asked her mother over the dinner table.

"The stories are all probably exaggerated." Tenten said. "But they're all rooted in the truth. Lots of trade and people pass through that country these days, ever since the war came to an end. As you might expect, that made the Land of Grass an excellent place to set up businesses in or to run them from, catering not just to the domestic market, but also the surrounding countries. Not necessarily a bad thing…except the daimyo reduced the regulations on and oversight of big business and corporations based in his country, the better to attract money from outside and to encourage the growth of business."

"…it worked, didn't it?" Mai asked.

"Yes…it worked…too well." Tenten said with a sigh. "It's just that with only token regulation and limited oversight, all those big businesses and corporations are constantly scheming and jockeying with each other for money and influence. It's all Hidden Grass can do to keep them from essentially taking over, and simply running wild afterwards."

"If it's that bad, then why hasn't the Shinobi Union taken action?" Mai asked.

"Well, for one thing it's not like the Land of Grass' big businesses are threatening to start a war." Tenten said. "And ultimately, they're all legit."

"About what you said about Hidden Grass keeping their country's big business from taking over," Mai continued. "If they're that threatening to the daimyo's power, why hasn't he simply reigned them in? Or…is it already too late?"

"Probably that…" Tenten said with a nod. "And he might not want to rock the boat that's pouring money into his treasury. There's also the influence those big businesses have in his court, or even…in Hidden Grass itself."

"…so, it's only a matter of time, huh?" Mai asked.

"Maybe…but while it will cause trouble, it shouldn't start a war." Tenten said with a shrug. "An intervention no doubt, but nothing more serious. More importantly…you're going to be on courier duty. I don't know what it is you're escorting, but expect it to draw the interest of many people and groups inside the Land of Grass. Be careful, and watch your backs. Those interested people might not just want to get their hands on whatever it is you have, but might even want to destroy it, and any potential witnesses around."

"Including my team…I've got it." Mai said grimly. "Don't worry, mom. I'll be careful."

Tenten nodded. "That's all I can really ask for." She said. "Well…here's to seeing you come back home safe and sound."

* * *

Sakura was brushing her hair while sitting at her dresser, getting ready for bed when she felt her husband's arms snaking around her torso, and pressing his warm body against her back. "Are you still angry I'm sending Shina and his team on that mission?" Naruto asked, softly speaking into her ear.

Sakura sighed and placed the brush down, looking at her husband with her dresser's mirror. "No..." she said. "And I wasn't really angry…just…"

"Concerned?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah…he's my son, after all." Sakura worriedly said. "I can't help but worry. The Land of Grass is very dangerous now, and they're going to be on courier duty. You know how dangerous that bunch of Gatos that all but ran the Land of Grass are. Whatever it is they'll be escorting…"

Naruto hummed in agreement. "…I can't keep them from taking this mission." He finally admitted. "It wouldn't be fair. Especially if my only reason is because my son is part of the team with the mission."

"I know." Sakura said, placing her hands on and entwining her fingers with her husband's own. "Though, why is it even a C-rank in the first place? Given how dangerous it can get…shouldn't it be a B-rank if not A-rank?"

"…they won't actually be heading into the Land of Grass, you see." Naruto answered. "Just a border post, where they'll be handing their package over to Hidden Grass ninjas who'll handle the rest across the border."

"…that's only on paper, and you know it."

"…I know." Naruto admitted with a sigh. "But there's nothing more I can do. Not yet…"

Sakura turned her head, Naruto doing likewise and giving her a smile. "…things finally coming together in the Land of Iron?" she asked.

"It helps that Kurotsuchi has finally reached the limits of her patience over in Hidden Rock, and their daimyo is also becoming annoyed too at how he's losing influence to that bunch in the Land of Grass." Naruto said.

"Now, if only it had happened sooner." Sakura sighed.

"Agreed…" Naruto said before letting go and stepping away. Sakura turned on her seat, watching her husband walk over to their windows and look out. "Shina's a good kid…strong too…stronger than I was when I was at his age."

"Really, Naruto?" Sakura asked.

Naruto gave her a knowing look. "My taijutsu was terrible," he said with an embarrassed smile. "I couldn't break a genjutsu, and…okay, my ninjutsu wasn't so bad, though in hindsight that's probably only because I could drown enemies with shadow clones no matter how bad my taijutsu was."

Sakura giggled. "Okay, that's true." She said. "And I guess it's also true that Shina's stronger than I was back then. In fact…this team seven's stronger than we were, not just because of what they can do, but also…"

"Yeah," Naruto agreed, walking over to their bed and lying down with arms folded behind his head. "They work better together than we did…less baggage holding them back too…"

Sakura nodded as she walked over, and sitting down on her side of the bed, reached out to stroke Naruto's cheek. "All true," she said. "But that's also only because we dealt with all that baggage holding us back, so it would never hold them back in their turn."

Naruto snorted and then nodded. "Also true," he said before looking up at Sakura. "I trust them. Not just to finish their mission, but also to get back safe and sound."

Sakura nodded before lying down and curling up next to Naruto, who placed his arms around her and held her close. "I guess that's all we can do." She said. "Trust in them, and believe they'll come back to us in one piece."

"…besides," Naruto eventually said, one hand stroking Sakura's hair. "We faced worse at that age. If we could do it, then I'm sure they can too."

"Hmm…yeah, you're right." Sakura said, closing her eyes and relaxing at the feel of Naruto's hand going through her hair.

As Sakura's breathing relaxed and evened out, Naruto also closed his eyes, his thoughts going to their sleeping son in the other room.

_Finish the job and come home safe, Shina. You can't end because of a bunch of people like Gato used to be back in the day getting out of hand here and now._

* * *

A/N

Again, nothing really to say here.


End file.
